Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
God the Judge
For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” A psalm of Asaph [C a Levitical musician, a descendant of Gershon, at the time of David; 1 Chr. 6:39; 15:17; 2 Chr. 5:12]. A song.
75 God, we ·thank [praise] you;
we ·thank [praise] you because ·you [L your name] are near.
We tell about the ·miracles [wonders] you do.
2 You say, “I set ·the time for trial [L an appointed time],
and I will judge ·fairly [with integrity].
3 The earth with all its people may ·shake [totter],
but I ·am the one who holds it steady [L set/establish its pillars; C the idea was that the earth was supported by pillars]. ·
4 I say to those who ·are proud [brag; boast], ‘Don’t ·be proud [brag; boast],’
and to the wicked, ‘Don’t ·show your power [L exalt your horn; C a horn is a symbol of strength].
5 Don’t ·try to use your power [L exalt your horn] against ·heaven [L the heights; or on high].
Don’t ·be stubborn [L speak with an insolent neck].’”
6 No one from the east or the west
or the ·desert [wilderness] ·can judge you [comes exalting].
7 God is the judge;
he ·judges one person as guilty [L puts one down] and ·another as innocent [L raises another up].
8 The Lord holds a cup in his hand;
it is ·full of wine mixed with [foaming wine full of] spices [C the cup of God’s wrath; 60:3; Jer. 25:15–29; Nah. 3:11; Matt. 26:39].
He pours it out ·even to the last drop [until its dregs drain out],
and the wicked drink it all.
9 I will tell about this forever;
I will ·sing praise [make a psalm] to the God of Jacob.
10 ·He will take all power away from [L I will cut off all the horns of] the wicked [v. 4],
but the ·power [L horn] of ·good [righteous] people will ·grow [be exalted].
12 “I will ·speak [L not keep quiet] about Leviathan’s ·arms and legs [limbs],
its great strength and ·well-formed body [L grace of form].
13 ·No one [L Who…?] can ·tear off [L expose] its outer ·hide [L garment]
or ·poke [enter] through its double armor.
14 ·No one [L Who…?] can force open ·its great jaws [L the doors of its face];
they are filled with frightening teeth.
15 It has rows of shields on its back
that are tightly sealed together.
16 Each ·shield is so close to the next one [L draws near the other, so]
that no air can go between them.
17 ·They are joined strongly to one another [L Each clings to its neighbor];
they hold on to each other and cannot be ·separated [broken off].
18 When it ·snorts [sneezes], flashes of light are thrown out,
and its eyes look like the light at dawn.
19 Flames blaze from its mouth;
sparks of fire shoot out.
20 Smoke pours out of its nose,
as if coming from a large pot over a hot fire.
21 Its breath sets coals on fire,
and flames come out of its mouth.
22 There is great strength in its neck.
·People are afraid and run away [or Violence leaps before it].
23 The folds of its skin are tightly joined;
they are set and cannot be moved.
24 Its ·chest [L heart] is as hard as a rock,
even as hard as a ·grinding stone [lower millstone].
25 The ·powerful [mighty; or gods] fear ·its terrible looks [L when it lifts itself up]
and ·draw back in fear as it moves [or the waves miss their mark/retreat].
26 The sword that ·hits [approaches] it does not hurt it,
nor the arrows, darts, and spears.
27 It ·treats [considers] iron as if it were straw
and bronze metal as if it were rotten wood.
28 It does not run away from arrows;
stones from slings are like chaff to it.
29 Clubs feel like ·pieces of straw [chaff] to it,
and it laughs when they ·shake [rattle] a spear at it.
30 The underside of its body is like ·broken [or sharp] pieces of pottery.
It leaves a trail in the mud like a threshing board.
31 It makes the deep sea ·bubble like a boiling [L boil like a] pot;
it ·stirs up the sea like a pot of oil [L makes the sea like ointment].
32 ·When it swims [L After it], it leaves a shining path in the water
that makes the sea look as if it had white hair.
33 Nothing else on earth is equal to it;
it is a creature without fear.
34 It looks down on all those who are ·too proud [proud; lofty];
it is king over all proud creatures.”
Jesus Washes His Followers’ Feet
13 ·It was almost time for [L Now before…,] the Passover Feast [12:12]. Jesus knew that it was ·time [L the hour] for him to ·leave [depart from] this world and go back to the Father. He had always loved those who were his own in the world, and he loved them ·all the way to the end [or completely; totally].
2 ·Jesus and his followers were at the evening meal [L It was dinnertime]. The devil had already ·persuaded [L put it into the heart of] Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, to ·turn against [betray] Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had ·given him power over everything [L placed everything into his hands] and that he had come from God and was going back to God. 4 So ·during the meal [L from supper] Jesus stood up and took off his outer clothing. Taking a towel, he wrapped it around his waist. 5 Then he poured water into a bowl and began to wash the ·followers’ [disciples’] feet, ·drying [wiping] them with the towel that was wrapped around him. [C This act was considered so demeaning by some people that they only allowed Gentile slaves to do it.]
6 Jesus came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”
7 Jesus answered, “You don’t understand now what I am doing, but you will understand later.”
8 Peter said, “No, you will never wash my feet.”
Jesus answered, “If I don’t wash your feet, you ·are not one of my people [L have no share/part with me].”
9 Simon Peter answered, “Lord, then wash not only my feet, but wash my hands and my head, too!”
10 Jesus said to him, “After a person has ·had a bath [washed; bathed], his whole body is clean. He needs only to wash his feet. And you men are clean, but not all of you.” 11 [L For] Jesus knew who would ·turn against [betray] him, and that is why he said, “Not all of you are clean.”
12 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and ·sat down [L reclined; C the posture for a banquet or dinner party] again. He asked, “Do you understand what I have just done ·for [to] you? 13 You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord’ [C titles appropriately ascribed to an esteemed Rabbi, but which took on deeper meaning after his death and resurrection], and you are right, because that is what I am. 14 If I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash each other’s feet. 15 I did this as ·an example [a pattern] so that you should do as I have done for you. 16 ·I tell you the truth [L Truly, truly, I say to you], a ·servant [slave; bond-servant] is not greater than his ·master [lord]. [L And] A messenger is not greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.
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